Institutional development · Digital transformation, data and AI · Switzerland
EPFL survey finds more than 90% of its students use generative AI for coursework
A 2026 survey at EPFL, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, found that most students use generative AI for coursework, mainly as a learning aid.
Why it matters: EPFL students and teaching staff face coursework in which more than nine in ten students use AI, with approaches differing between majors such as computer science and mathematics.
According to EPFL, a 2026 student survey found that more than 90% of its students use generative AI for coursework, chiefly as a tool for learning.
EPFL reported that around three-quarters of student users consider AI effective at explaining course content, and two-thirds find it helpful for weekly homework problems.
Students use AI for tasks including planning study time, note-taking, assignments, practice exams and managing stress, the university said.
EPFL said usage varies by major, with computer science students taking a more advanced approach and mathematics students more wary of the models' statistical predictions.
Editor’s view
Sarah Williamson, Teaching, Digital and AI Editor
The survey describes an EPFL student body in which more than nine in ten use AI for coursework, mostly as a study aid, and in which computer science and mathematics students approach the tools differently.
